Tape data backup and recovery quiz

Even though storage experts have been predicting the demise of tape storage for years, tape data backup is alive and well in many organizations. Tape is frequently used for data backup and recovery, and it's also increasingly being used for long-term data archiving.

According to Storage magazine's October 2010 Purchasing Intentions survey, even though one-third of respondents plan to reduce their reliance on tape this year, 22% will increase tape usage. Although tape data backup is declining, LTO-5 tape is showing some signs of possibly breathing a little life into the technology. For those who plan to buy new tape libraries, 20% said those libraries will contain LTO-5 drives -- a pretty high number considering LTO-5 is still relatively new.

In our quiz on tape data backup, learn about the most important tape storage terms, what they mean, and why they're important. Take our quiz, and if you haven't done as well as you've hoped, check out our special section on tape backup and tape libraries.

1. When data is sent to tape, it needs to flow at the same speed the tape is running. If there is a mismatch between speeds, the tape drive will try to accommodate it. For example, if a backup server is sending data slower than the tape drive processor writes it, the drive will periodically stop and wait for data to catch up. Once the drive determines there is enough data to start writing again, it will rewind to the exact place where the last write took place, reset the tape heads and continue. This term is the repeated back and forth motion a tape drive makes when there's an interruption in the data stream.

2. This is a complicated tape data backup strategy that's good for archiving data for an extended period of time in an economical manner. The strategy, which is based on a mathematical puzzle invented by the French mathematician Edouard Lucas, uses a cycle of exponential retention periods instead of a large number of tapes.

4. This type of backup can be conducted through a SAN or with a tape device directly attached to the storage subsystem. Some of the advantages of this type of backup include shorter backup and recovery times and less disruption to other systems and applications.

5. This is a hardware device that contains multiple tape drives for reading and writing data, access ports for entering and removing tapes and a robotic device for mounting and dismounting the tape cartridges without human intervention.

Start the conversation

0 comments

Register

I agree to TechTarget’s Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and the transfer of my information to the United States for processing to provide me with relevant information as described in our Privacy Policy.

Please check the box if you want to proceed.

I agree to my information being processed by TechTarget and its Partners to contact me via phone, email, or other means regarding information relevant to my professional interests. I may unsubscribe at any time.